Burrow, Edward John: The Elgin Marbles: With an abridged historical and topographical account of Athens (London, 1837)

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has obtained very generally the name of The-
seus. Upon what authority this title was at
first conferred, it is not easy to determine;
but if the story related in the Pediment be
that of the nativity of Minerva, it is most in-
judiciously imposed. It were an anachronism
too glaring, to imagine the tenth king of Athens
to have been present at the production of the
daughter of Jupiter, whose name the city had
already borne for nearly three hundred years.
But it will be asked, Does not this objection
equally apply to his friend and cotemporary
Hercules ? Doubtless:—but we are indebted
to M. Visconti for a suggestion which solves
this difficulty. Theseus it cannot be, nor the
Theban Hercules; but in mythological story
there is another Hercules* far more ancient
than the son of Alcmene, who, according to
Pausanias-f-, was one of those denominated
the Idaean Dactyli. The same author J tells

* Herodotus, ii. 43. 'HfaxXio; is itsp) rovtie riv Xoyov yxavira.,

w; ilfj fwv SvcoSiKa Seaiv rov hfhpou Ss ifsp'i HpxxXso;, rov EX-

Xrps; o'jJairi.ouJafij Alyvirrov IJumo-Sijv a'xouaui, xai pp Sri ye

qvnap"Ekkrjvuiy sXa.Gov fwvo^a. rtm'HpaxXeo; A\yiietM, dXXd

EXXrjvs; /xaXXov iraf Alyvifriuiv.

+ Pausan. ix. 19. J Ibid v. 7-